Improvement in automatically-cleansing water-closets



l. l. ODUNOHEIE.

Automatically Cleansing water-Closets. N0. 165,174, Palenledlmynlsvs.

wl'rl'NEssEs INVENTORE- N. PETERS. PHnTo-LlTHcGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH J. ODONOHUE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPRQVEMENT IN AUTOMATICALLV-CLEANSING WATER-CLOSETS. A.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 165,174, dated July 6,1875; application filed D:cember 16, 1874.

Toall whom 'it may concer-n:

Be it known that I, J osErH J. ODoNoHUE, of the city of Baltimore andState of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatically-Gleansin g Water-Glosets, of which the following isa'specitication; and I do hereby declare that in the same is contained afull, clear, and exact description of my said invention, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

' My invention relates more especially to the valves and attachments bymeans of which the water is admitted to the bowl for the cleansing ofthe same, and to a combination of devices by means ot' which themovement of the panA is made dependent upon that of the valves andattachments aforesaid.

In the description of my invention which foly lows due reference must behad to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specitication,and in which- Figure l is a partially-sectional view of the principalparts of a water-closet embodying my improvements; and Fig. 2, asectional view of parts of the invention on an enlarged scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in both gures.

In the drawing, A represents the bowl of theV water-closet, and-B thetrunk upon which the bowl rests. O is the seat, hinged or suspendedin-such manner as'to allow of its depression upon weight being appliedthereto. D is a valve-case provided-with the inlet and outlet pipes aand b, the inlet-pipe a connecting to the water-supply, and theoutlet-pipe b to the bowl A. The valve-case D is divided into twodistinct compartments or chambers by the partition c, the upper one, orwater-chamber, being at all times filled with water, and the lower one,or connection-chamber, in constant communication with the trunk B. At apoint near the top of the water-chamber is secured a perforated valveplate or seat, b', which is connected to the partition o by a tube, d.Immeg diately below the valve-plate is a valve, e, faced with someflexible packing substance, and sustained in place by means of aspiralspring, f, conned between said valve and partition c aforesaid. Eis the valve-stem, the upper end of which is forced, by means of asecond spiral spring, h, which bears. against a collar, l,upon

said stem, to the under side of the seat C, elev vating the same andopening the valve g, secured to said stem above the valve-plate b. Thelower end of valve-stem is connected, by means of a rod, i, to the pan min such manner as to retain the said pan in a closed position whensaidstem is elevated.

Parts of my invention not yet referred to will Y be described and theirseveral uses fully set forth in the description of the operation of awater closet embodying my improvements which follows.

When the water-closet is not in use the parts thereof occupy thepositions shown in the drawing, the upper valve, g, being open, and thelower r`one, e, closed, and the pan fm covering the lower end of thebowl; but upon the seat being occupied the Weight `of the occupantcauses the depression of the scat and stem E, and consequently theclosing of the valve g, attached to said stem. During thisoperatiou thepan m is lowered or opened', and the lower valve e, which is` sustainedby the spring f, forced down by means of the rods n, projecting from theupper valve g, attached to valvestem E. The rods n pass through theperforations in the valve-plate b', and to prevent injury to theflexible packing of theI valve c, caused by the action of said rodsthereupon, rotation of the said valve may be prevented by some simpleattachment to the valve-case. As long as the seat is occupied it isdepressed, and the flow of water to the bowl prevented, but upon theseat being relieved of the weight of the occupant it is raised by meansof the spring It and stem E, and the valve g being opened b v theelevation of the stem, the water Hows to the bowl, and continues to liowuntil the valve e closes. The valve e does not close with the opening ofthe one g, being independent of it and operated upon. only by the springf, buthas a retarded motion upon the tube consequent upon the frictioncaused by the set-screw o bearing against the outer surface of saidtube. The movement of the stem E and its connecting parts can also beretarded by means of set-screwr1 in the upper end of the valve-case.

The sizes of the different parts of Ithis invention and the tension ofthe set-screws can be regulated to allow sufficient water to pass to thebowl to cleanse it before the closing of the valve e, and when sucharrangement and regnlation are had, the bowl and trap below it arecleansed without any manipulation ofthe parts, and that, too, without anunnecessary expenditure of Water.

Having thus described my invention, what combination with the spiralspring h and valvecase D, substantially as speeitied.

4. The combination ot' the pan m and rod t' with the vertically-moving'valve-stem E, substantially as described. y

5. The valve-case D, divided into separate compartments or chambers, asshown, in combination with the inlet and outlet pipes a and b, andprovided with the combination of valves connected and operated asdescribed, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub.

scribed my name this 14th day of December, in the year of our Lord 1874.

Josnrn J. oDoNoHUE.

Witnesses: A

WM. S. MURPHY, STANLEY HYNsoN.

